The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has today (3 August) awarded almost £10m of funding from his Outer London Fund to 20 boroughs across the capital to help them bring the buzz back to their high streets and boost their local economy. A further £40m from the Fund will be awarded later this year.
Set up in March, the Mayor’s Outer London Fund is a £50m three year initiative to grow economic activity and drive employment in parts of London benefitting less directly from large-scale infrastructure investment in the capital such as Crossrail and the 2012 Games and forms part of the Mayor’s vision for bringing the best elements of the village to the city.
Up to £10m was made available in this first round of funding with the aim of providing boroughs with immediate access to funds which they can use to increase the attractiveness and economic competitiveness of their town centres in the build up to the Christmas period and throughout the New Year. The second round, open until October 14th, will see the allocation of up to £40m of funding to develop longer-term projects to regenerate and rejuvenate areas ranging from a small parade of shops to town centres.
Thirty projects in 20 boroughs will benefit from the funding announced today. The largest single award, £715,000, went to Enfield Council to improve shop fronts, make use of vacant shops, create a new street market in Ponders End and refurbish street lighting and canopies. The council will also be supporting the Edmonton Green Food and Music Festival as well as contributing to the Christmas Festival lights.
Highlights from other successful bids include:
- New temporary public art outside Waterman’s Arts Centre in Brentford High Street
- Linking Magistrates Court and Market Square in Barking town centre
- New green space at John the Baptist Church in Chipping Barnet
- Expansion of the Green Lanes Food Festival in Haringey
- Creation of Bromley Town Centre Heritage Trail
- Upgrading of pavements in Barnes town centre and enhancement of Christmas lights
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Investing in our town centres and local areas is absolutely key to maintaining London’s position as the best big city in the world. This cash injection means councils can start work today to attract more people into their area, boost economic growth and bring the buzz back to their high streets.
“But this is just the beginning. With up to £40m left to spend immense changes are on the horizon for some of London’s town centres, changes that will not only enhance but intensify the character, colour and identity of those places we call home.”
Daniel Moylan, Deputy Chairman of Transport for London, who is working closely with the Mayor on the Outer London Fund said: “This money will provide a real boost for town centres which are suffering from the effects of a slower than expected economic recovery. Giving councils immediate access to the funds means that they can plough ahead with their successful bids and get their areas ready to take full advantage of the Christmas period. An investment in our town centres is an investment in economic growth and quality of life for all Londoners and I look forward to the proposals for the second round of the Fund which are set to bring about real long-term change for centres across the capital.”
Notes to editors
- The successful bids from round one of the Mayor of London’s Outer London Fund are listed below. These are provisional awards and subject to a grant agreement.
- Barking Town Centre - Barking and Dagenham - £650,000
- Chipping Barnet – Barnet - £416,685
- Bexley Town Centre – Bexley - £270,500
- Willesden Green – Brent - £500,000
- Bromley Town Centre – Bromley - £308,700
- Penge Town Centre – Bromley - £70,000
- Orpington Town Centre – Bromley - £90,000
- New Addington – Croydon - £516,000
- Greenford – Ealing - £128,000
- Acton – Ealing - £500,000
- A1010 – Enfield - £715,000
- Muswell Hill: Destination Marketing – Haringey - £90,233
- Green Lanes: Food Glorious Food – Haringey - £99,400
- Harrow Metropolitan Centre – Harrow - £496,000
- North Harrow – Harrow - £360,400
- Rainham – Havering - £220,000
- Hornchurch – Havering - £225,000
- Hayes Town Centre – Hillingdon - £240,000
- Brentford – Hounslow - £226,500
- Hounslow – Hounslow – £499,000
- Archway – Islington - £92,500
- Kingston High Street – Kingston - £636,000
- West Norwood District Centre – Lambeth - £310,000
- Streatham Town Centre – Lambeth - £375,000
- Catford Broadway – Lewisham - £125,000
- Twickenham – Richmond - £496,700
- Whitton – Richmond - £361,200
- Barnes – Richmond - £376,595
- Wood Street Town Centre – Waltham Forest - £310,000
- Tooting – Wandsworth - £194,155
Total £9,989,568
- The Outer London Fund is a three year initiative focused on the regeneration of town centres and their high streets, backed by £50 million and the offer of specialist support. The Fund will nurture activities that range from modest awareness and enthusiasm-raising efforts, to more substantial built works and development-enabling projects.
- The objective of the Outer London Fund is to strengthen the vibrancy and growth of London’s town centres and their environs. We focus on town centres and their high streets because these are the parts of London where the public life and the everyday economy is focused; they are at the core of our designated town centres, with good public transport, and the high street activity that we all want to see flourish. These places can range from local parades of shops to the largest town centres.
- The initiative is being coordinated on behalf of the Mayor by the Greater London Authority working closely with others in the London Development Agency, including Design for London, and with Transport for London. A panel including the members of the GLA, the Outer London Commission and TfL will make recommendations to the Mayor who will make the final decision over which bids go forward.
- As part of the Outer London Fund a specialist assistance team has been assembled to nurture collaboration and assist local businesses, organise events, and design celebrations or decorations for lighter touch improvements from round one. This assistance team are also able to help in relation to the more substantial physical projects in round two. The specialist team provided by the Fund includes a pre-procured team that specialises in economic development, place shaping and public realm projects, special event planning, community engagement and marketing to assist boroughs in developing their ideas.
- Over the last few years London has benefitted from many strategic investment decisions to improve the quality of life and economy of London. These have included over 50 projects being delivered as part of the London’s Great Outdoors programme, from improvements to neighbourhood parks, to reclaiming London’s waterways; plus major transport investments including the extension of the Docklands Light Railway, the expansion of the East London Overground Line, and of course all the benefits that will come from Crossrail and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.